Raise a lot of money. It's the entry level problem. You've got to be prepared.

He was addressing Maryland governor Martin O'Malley, a Democrat with high political aspirations.

But Gingrich was referencing his own experiences running for president against uber-rich presumptive nominee Mitt Romney. I guess "Raise a lot of money" is more feasible than "Be very, very wealthy."

While Gingrich says he has no regrets, he did speak about the difficulty of a lengthy campaign. (He suspended his campaign last month.) According to Gingrich, the "brutal, tough process" is essential to finding out if you have what it takes to become president.